Zechariah 14

Zechariah · Chapter 14

Zechariah 14:1

1Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.2For I will gather all nations against Jerusalem to battle; and the city shall be taken, and the houses rifled, and the women ravished; and half of the city shall go forth into captivity, and the residue of the people shall not be cut off from the city.3Then shall the LORD go forth, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.4And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south.5And ye shall flee to the valley of the mountains; for the valley of the mountains shall reach unto Azal: yea, ye shall flee, like as ye fled from before the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah: and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee.6And it shall come to pass in that day, that the light shall not be clear, nor dark:7But it shall be one day which shall be known to the LORD, not day, nor night: but it shall come to pass, that at evening time it shall be light.8And it shall be in that day, that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem; half of them toward the former sea, and half of them toward the hinder sea: in summer and in winter shall it be.9And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.10All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem: and it shall be lifted up, and inhabited in her place, from Benjamin’s gate unto the place of the first gate, unto the corner gate, and from the tower of Hananeel unto the king’s winepresses.11And men shall dwell in it, and there shall be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited.12And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet, and their eyes shall consume away in their holes, and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.13And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.14And Judah also shall fight at Jerusalem; and the wealth of all the heathen round about shall be gathered together, gold, and silver, and apparel, in great abundance.15And so shall be the plague of the horse, of the mule, of the camel, and of the ass, and of all the beasts that shall be in these tents, as this plague.16And it shall come to pass, that every one that is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the feast of tabernacles.17And it shall be, that whoso will not come up of all the families of the earth unto Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, even upon them shall be no rain.18And if the family of Egypt go not up, and come not, that have no rain; there shall be the plague, wherewith the LORD will smite the heathen that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.19This shall be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all nations that come not up to keep the feast of tabernacles.20In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’s house shall be like the bowls before the altar.21Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

King James Version (1769)

Other translations

VerseKJVBSBASV
1Behold, the day of the LORD cometh, and thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.Behold, a day of the LORD is coming when your plunder will be divided in your presence.Behold, a day of Jehovah cometh, when thy spoil shall be divided in the midst of thee.

In context

AI-assisted, sourced

This verse opens the book's last chapter with a warning to Jerusalem. The day of the LORD is coming, and enemies will split up the city's plunder inside its own walls. The chapter then shows the LORD fighting for the city and ruling as king over all the earth. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9

SpeakingThe LORD speaks through the prophet Zechariah, son of Berechiah. In the next verse he says, "I will gather all nations against Jerusalem." Zechariah overviewZechariah 14:2

ToThe words are aimed at Jerusalem ("thee"). They were given to the people of Judah who had come back from exile in Babylon. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2Zechariah overview

Also involvedJerusalem and its people, and the nations who come against it in battle and are then judged. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:12

The verse announces that the day of the LORD is coming. Jerusalem's goods will be taken as spoil and divided up among the enemy in the middle of the city. Verse 2 explains how: the city is taken, houses are rifled, and half the people go into captivity, though the rest are not cut off from the city. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2Strong's H7998Strong's H2505A

The scene is Jerusalem. The chapter names the mount of Olives, east of the city, where the LORD's feet will stand. JerusalemZechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:4

JUDAHMediterranean SeaJerusalemTyreSidonDamascusHamath 1GazaAshdodMegiddo

The eventsThe events belong to a future "day of the LORD," also called "that day" throughout the chapter. The text does not give a date. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:6Zechariah 14:9

WrittenTraditional: Zechariah wrote the whole book, with dated messages from about 520 to 518 BC. Scholarly: most agree chapters 1-8 come from Zechariah then, but chapters 9-14 carry no dates, and many assign them to a later writer or writers. Zechariah overview

HereThe verse warns that the day will begin with Jerusalem plundered. The plunder does not have the last word: the LORD goes out to fight the nations, and later the wealth of the heathen is gathered at Jerusalem instead. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:14

In the whole of ScriptureOther prophets use the same words: "Behold, the day of the LORD cometh" (Isaiah 13:9; compare Malachi 4:1, 5). It is a day of judgment on the proud (Isaiah 2:12). Revelation 16:14 likewise speaks of kings gathered "to the battle of that great day of God Almighty." In Zechariah it ends with "the LORD shall be king over all the earth" (14:9). Isaiah 13:9Malachi 4:1Malachi 4:5Isaiah 2:12Revelation 16:14Zechariah 14:9Zechariah overview

For readersThe day of the LORD is not pictured as easy, even for God's own city. Yet the LORD himself steps in, and the chapter ends with Jerusalem safely inhabited, the horses' bells bearing "HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD," and every pot in Jerusalem and Judah made holy to the LORD. Zechariah 14:2Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:11Zechariah 14:20Zechariah 14:21

Christians read this differently

The text does not say when or how this day is fulfilled. Some read it as a future battle at Jerusalem at the end of the age, followed by the LORD's visible reign (compare Revelation 16:14 and Acts 2:20). Others read the chapter as picture language for God's judgment and his final victory, or see it partly fulfilled in Jerusalem's later sufferings. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Revelation 16:14Acts 2:20

  • dayיוֹם
    Hebrew · yom · H3117G

    The word can mean a 24-hour day, but also a time or period in general. Here it names "the day of the LORD," which the chapter keeps calling "that day" while describing many events within it. Strong's H3117GZechariah 14:4Zechariah 14:9Zechariah 14:20

  • spoilשָׁלָל
    Hebrew · sha.lal · H7998

    The word means prey, booty, or the plunder of war. It shows the verse is about a city taken in battle, as verse 2 describes. Strong's H7998Zechariah 14:2

  • dividedחָלַק
    Hebrew · cha.laq · H2505A

    The word means to divide, share, or plunder. Here the spoil is shared out in the midst of the city, which fits verse 2's picture of the city taken and its houses rifled. Strong's H2505AZechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:2

Takeaway

Zechariah 14:1 opens a picture of the day of the LORD that starts with Jerusalem plundered and ends with the LORD as king over all the earth. It is a warning, but the chapter makes clear that the LORD himself fights for his city. Zechariah 14:1Zechariah 14:3Zechariah 14:9

Drafted by AI from the Scripture and data shown under “Show sources,” then checked automatically and by a second AI pass. Updated 2026-10-28.

The world around the text

About 520-518 BC. King of Persia: Darius I (522-486 BC). Where Zechariah prophesied. A small, poor community was rebuilding the temple among the ruins of the city Babylon had burned.

Who ruled
  • King of PersiaDarius I522-486 BC

    Zechariah dates his messages by the years of Darius. Darius confirmed Cyrus's decree and ordered the temple work to go on at royal expense. Zechariah 1:1Zechariah 7:1Ezra 6:1-12Haggai 1:1Behistun Inscription

  • Governor of JudahZerubbabelc. 520 BC

    A descendant of David who led the rebuilding. "The hands of Zerubbabel have laid the foundation of this house; his hands shall also finish it." Zechariah 4:6-10Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:8

  • High priestJoshua the high priestc. 520 BC

    Called Jeshua in Ezra. He stands in Zechariah's vision clothed in filthy garments, which are taken away, and later receives crowns as a sign. Zechariah 3:1-10Zechariah 6:11Haggai 1:1Ezra 3:2

  • Persian governor "on this side the river"Tattenaic. 520 BC

    The governor of the province west of the Euphrates. He asked who had allowed the building, wrote to Darius, and was told to let the work go on. Ezra 5:3-6Ezra 6:6-13

What was happening, 539 BC to 332 BC
  1. 539 BC
    WarBabylon falls to Cyrus

    Cyrus king of Persia took Babylon, ending the empire that had destroyed Jerusalem. Daniel 5:30-31Nabonidus Chronicle (ABC 7)Cyrus Cylinder

  2. 538 BC
    God's peopleThe first return

    Cyrus let the exiles go home to build the LORD's house. About fifty thousand returned with Zerubbabel and Jeshua. Ezra 1:1-4Ezra 2:1-2Ezra 2:64-65

  3. c. 536 BC
    God's peopleThe foundation is laid, then the work stops

    The returned exiles laid the temple's foundation with shouting and weeping. Opposition from their neighbors stopped the work until the second year of Darius. Ezra 3:10-13Ezra 4:4-5Ezra 4:24

  4. 525 BC
    WarPersia conquers Egypt

    Cyrus's son Cambyses invaded and took Egypt, bringing the whole region from the Nile to the Indus under one king. Herodotus, Histories 3.1-16

  5. 522-521 BC
    WarDarius crushes the revolts

    When Darius took the throne, provinces across the empire rebelled, Babylon twice. By 520 he had put them all down. Compare the riders' report in Zechariah's first vision: "all the earth sitteth still, and is at rest." Behistun InscriptionHerodotus, Histories 3.150-159Zechariah 1:11

  6. 520 BC
    God's peopleHaggai and Zechariah stir the people to build

    In Darius's second year the two prophets urged the people to take up the temple work again, and Zerubbabel and Jeshua began to build. Ezra 5:1-2Haggai 1:1-15Zechariah 1:1

  7. c. 520-519 BC
    RulersDarius confirms Cyrus's decree

    Tattenai questioned the building. A search found Cyrus's decree at Achmetha, and Darius ordered the work to continue and be paid for from royal taxes. Ezra 5:3-6:12

  8. 515 BC
    BuildingThe second temple is finished

    The temple was finished on the third day of Adar in Darius's sixth year and dedicated with joy. Ezra 6:14-18Zechariah 4:9

  9. 490-479 BC
    WarPersia's wars with Greece

    Persia invaded Greece twice and was turned back at Marathon (490), Salamis (480) and Plataea (479). Greece, which Zechariah names in 9:13, was becoming Persia's great rival. Herodotus, Histories 6.102-117Herodotus, Histories 8.40-96Herodotus, Histories 9.1-89Zechariah 9:13

  10. 445 BC
    BuildingNehemiah rebuilds Jerusalem's walls

    Under the Persian king Artaxerxes, Nehemiah came from Shushan and rebuilt the walls in fifty-two days. Nehemiah 2:1-8Nehemiah 6:15

  11. 332 BC
    WarAlexander takes Tyre and Gaza

    Alexander the Great besieged island Tyre for seven months and then Gaza for two, on his way to Egypt. Zechariah 9 speaks of Tyre's "strong hold" and of Gaza, Ashkelon, Ekron and Ashdod. Arrian, Anabasis of Alexander 2.15-27Zechariah 9:3-7

The full picture: places, culture and daily life. Scripture first, then ancient records (the Behistun Inscription, the Cyrus Cylinder, the Babylonian Chronicles) and ancient writers (Herodotus, Arrian, Josephus). Drafted by Claude and not yet reviewed by a person.

Where

Locations from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Some ancient sites are uncertain.

Original Hebrew words

EnglishHebrewSay itStrong'sMeaning
there!הִנֵּ֥הhi-NEHH2009
behold

הִנֵּה (hin.neh) behold, lo, see, if

a dayיֽוֹם־yom-H3117G
day

יוֹם (yom) : day/when/time/period 1) day, time, year 1a) day (as opposed to night) 1b) day (24 hour period) 1b1) as defined by evening and morning in Genesis 1 1b2) as a division of time 1b2a) a working day, a day's journey 1c) days, lifetime (pl.) 1d) time, period (general) 1e) year 1f) temporal references 1f1) today 1f2) yesterday 1f3) tomorrow

[is] comingבָּ֖אba'H0935G
to come (in): come

בּוֹא (bo) : come/go_in 1) to go in, enter, come, go, come in 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to enter, come in 1a2) to come 1a2a) to come with 1a2b) to come upon, fall or light upon, attack (enemy) 1a2c) to come to pass 1a3) to attain to 1a4) to be enumerated 1a5) to go 1b) (Hiphil) 1b1) to lead in 1b2) to carry in 1b3) to bring in, cause to come in, gather, cause to come, bring near, bring against, bring upon 1b4) to bring to pass 1c) (Hophal) 1c1) to be brought, brought in 1c2) to be introduced, be put

of Yahwehלַֽיהוָ֑הla-YAH-wehH3068G
Lord

אֲדֹנָי (a.do.nai) Lord - a title, spoken in place of Yahweh in Jewish display of reverence Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)

and it will be dividedוְחֻלַּ֥קve-chu-LAKH2505A
to divide

חָלַק (cha.laq) 1) to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to divide, apportion 1a2) to assign, distribute 1a3) to assign, impart 1a4) to share 1a5) to divide up, plunder 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to divide oneself 1b2) to be divided 1b3) to assign, distribute 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to divide, apportion 1c2) to assign, distribute 1c3) to scatter 1d) (Pual) to be divided 1e) (Hiphil) to receive a portion or part 1f) (Hithpael) to divide among themselves

plunder yourשְׁלָלֵ֖ךְshe-la-LEKHH7998
spoil

שָׁלָל (sha.lal) 1) prey, plunder, spoil, booty 1a) prey 1b) booty, spoil, plunder (of war) 1c) plunder (private) 1d) gain (meaning uncertain)

in midst yourבְּקִרְבֵּֽךְ׃be-kir-BEKHH7130G
entrails: among

קֶ֫רֶב (qe.rev) : among/within 1) midst, among, inner part, middle 1a) inward part 1a1) physical sense 1a2) as seat of thought and emotion 1a3) as faculty of thought and emotion 1b) in the midst, among, from among (of a number of persons) 1c) entrails (of sacrificial animals) Also means: qe.rev (קֶ֫רֶב ": inner_parts" H7130H)

Words and meanings from STEPBible data (Tyndale House, Cambridge, CC BY 4.0). The capitalized syllable is the stressed one.